KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's capital market will play a critical role in supporting the country's next phase of semiconductor growth as it seeks to capture opportunities from the reorganisation of global supply chains, Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong said.

Speaking at the Bursa Malaysia-CLSA Semiconductor Sectoral Series, Liew said the industry's next phase of development would require "deep, smart and strategic" capital to help companies invest in innovation, technology, talent and capabilities while strengthening their global competitiveness.

Malaysia's semiconductor industry is moving beyond assembly and testing into higher-value activities such as advanced chip packaging for artificial intelligence (AI), data centres and high-performance computing, supported by ongoing government initiatives. MOSTI has set a target for Malaysia to capture 7% of the global advanced packaging market by 2035.

“The next semiconductor leap cannot be achieved by government, industry or investors alone. Success requires partnership, and investors, as well as capital markets to provide the long-term capital necessary to transform promising companies into global champions,” Liew said.

Bursa Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Fad'l Mohamed said the capital market plays an important role in helping innovative companies access long-term funding, broaden investor participation and strengthen market visibility.

He noted that Bursa Malaysia is home to 52 technology companies with a combined market capitalisation of nearly RM100bil as at June 2026.

“Through initiatives such as MY Value Up, Bursa RISE+ and Invest Malaysia, we continue to strengthen investor engagement, enhance market visibility and support companies throughout their growth journey.

“As Malaysia's semiconductor industry evolves, we remain committed to strengthening the capital market ecosystem to support the industry's growth and Malaysia’s ambition to build globally competitive technology companies,” Fad'l said.

The Bursa Malaysia-CLSA Semiconductor Sectoral Series, themed Malaysia's Next Semiconductor Leap: Elevating the Semiconductor Value Chain, brought together policymakers, industry leaders and investors to discuss opportunities in higher-value semiconductor segments and the role of capital markets in supporting innovation and growth.

CLSA Malaysia country head Joe Liew said Malaysia's semiconductor sector is entering a new phase of growth, creating opportunities for companies and investors.

“Through our collaboration with Bursa Malaysia the discussions highlighted Malaysia’s growing strengths in technology and semiconductors, the changing dynamics of the global semiconductor landscape, and the importance of connecting companies with investors to support long-term growth.

“We remain committed to showcasing CLSA Malaysia’s global research capabilities, uncovering the latest insights, empowering decision-makers to stay ahead of industry trends, seizing new opportunities and forging stronger connections between industry experts and investors,” Liew said.

The event also featured discussions on Malaysia's capabilities in advanced packaging, China's semiconductor equipment ecosystem and opportunities for Malaysian companies to move further up the semiconductor value chain.

Speakers included representatives from CITIC Securities, FusionAP, the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association and Unicomp Technology Co Ltd.